The Birth Of A New Halliwell
by Missphoebe2007
Summary: The year is 1854...Phoebe is in danger of losing her second born child before it's delievred....New chapeter is up! Plz read and Review
1. Chapter 1

_An: Hii all this is my first FanFic --- I hope you all enjoy it ----It's based on Little House Of The Paraie ----Read and Review Pwease! If ya'll like it I'll do Chapter 2 :An_

The Birth Of A New Halliwell

Piper Halliewell walked the road toward the Turner house shortly

after she had visited her ma at the restaurant. She was worried

about her sister, Phoebe, who was due to have her second baby

in just a few short months. She had had Paris nearly three years

ago, this December, but had went back to her job as teacher at

the school in town. Phoebe had recently quit her job before the

spring term ended due to complications and had confided in his

younger sisters, Paige and Prue, herself, and Andy Trudaue that

she would not come back after this baby was born.

Piper thought back to three months ago when Phoebe had only

been five months along. She had passed out in the floor in the middle of a history lesson, it had taken both Leo and Andy to get her to Doc Baker's. While she was expecting

Paris, Phoebe had had a bad heat stroke while their pa and Cole were gone, but that was nothing compared to all of the fainting spells and fevers that she had went through with this child. Piper wanted to become a doctor, and had studied all of the books that she could. She knew what went through Doc Baker's head every time that someone had to bring Phoebe into his office, yet again. It was the same thing that had went through her head many times. What if the baby didn't make it, or worse… what if Phoebe didn't make it?

As she drew nearer to the house, Piper realized that Phoebe had placed a chair outside for her to sit in. Soon after she had noticed her in the chair, she waved at her with a smile on her face, and moved to rise from the chair in order to greet her. When she saw her begin to get up from her chair, Piper rushed toward her and helped her back into the chair.

Phoebe gave her a puzzled, yet livid look. "I can do this myself, you know. I don't need someone to wait on me hand and foot. I have had a child before Piper, and I can take care of Paris myself as well," Phoebe said as she motioned to the child who sat about three feet away and played with a small rag doll.

"Phoebe, I know that you could in other circumstances… but this is different! Doc Baker said that you needed to be on bed rest, yet here you are outside. Did you bring that chair outside by yourself? Does Cole know that you're outside?"

"It's such a beautiful day, and I didn't think that lifting a chair would hurt anything. And no, Cole doesn't know that I'm outside. Piper, you can't expect me to stay cooped up inside all day. You can't expect Paris to either, she needs to play outside!"

"If it's Paris that you're worried about, Paige and Prue can watch her and play with her while I make sure that you stay in bed."

"I can't just lay around and do nothing, Piper! I have to have something to do."

"I know… hey, I just remembered! Andy told me about a week ago that Kady and the twins are coming for a visit soon… he told Kady how you were doing when she said that she was coming, and she wants to spend some time with you. That way, Paris can play with the twins. They're much closer to her age than Paige and Prue."

Piper watched Phoebe's face for a reaction, but was sorely disappointed when she found none. Normally news of Kady brought a smile to her face, or caused her to remember something from when they were younger, but now as he looked at her she sat in the chair with the same void look on her face.

"Piper?" Phoebe looked up at him, her eyes nearly closed from the sleep in her eyes. "Take Paris home with you, will you please? I'm tired and I can't look after her now. She needs to play outside. Please, will you take her? Cole said that he would be going there after he was finished because her had to help Pa with a delivery, so you won't have to worry about bringing her home, he could."

"All right Phoebe, I'll take her. So long as you promise me that you will get some rest!" she forced a smile on his face and gave her a hug.

"I will, now go, Piper! I can get to the bed by myself."

-----

Paige looked toward the road then back to her sister in anticipation. Piper had left well before lunch to go into town to see their ma. It was nearing three o'clock now, and she still wasn't back from town. She supposed that she could have stopped at the mercantile to visit with Andy, but more than anything, she was sure that she went to visit Phoebe. Everyone was worried about her. Paige bit her lip and held her hand up to shade her eyes from the sun so she could see Prue.

"Prue?" Paige asked hesitantly.

Prue dropped the shirt that was in her hands and turned to look at Phoebe. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing… just…Prue, you'll be sixteen soon, won't you?"

"That's right, just like you just turned nine, but I don't see what this has to do with anything."

"Well, you see… I have a question, and I was thinkin' you bein' almost sixteen and all, you should know the answer, right?"

"Now that depends on what the question is, now spit it out Paige. What is it that you are going on with?"

"Well it's Francine Larson. She told me that her ma was real sick when she had her, and she died right after she was born. Does that mean that Phoebe's gonna die after this baby is born?"

Prue shut her eyes for a moment, desperate for the words that she should say, but none came to her. She opened her eyes and was met with a curious Paige, her light blue eyes wide and full of question, and her right hand had found its way up to play with the end of one of her braids. Prue reached her hand out, took Paige by the hand, and carefully guided the younger girl toward the hollowed out log next to the creek.

As she sat down, the words that she should say finally came to Prue and she opened her mouth, Paige looked up at her and Prue never wavered from the girl's curious stare. "Phoebe won't die, Paige. She's much too strong, plus she has too many people who love her. She and the baby both will be fine, you'll see."

Paige smiled and wrapped her arms around Prue. "Oh, that's good. I'd miss her somethin' awful. And you know what else, too? Phoebe tells the best stories! She told me this story once, and Pa had green hair in it! Isn't that silly?" Prue shook her head and smiled, Paige thought that they were just stories, but really everything that their sister told her had happened. She reached out her hand to her younger sister and helped her up, so they could finish hanging the clothes to dry.

With a smile, Prue asked, "Did Phoebe ever tell you about when she first met Cole?" she knew that she hadn't, Phoebe wouldn't tell Paige a story that would embarrass herself, and Prue had just turned two when Phoebe had met Cole for the first time, so she wouldn't remember this story.

Paige shook her head and shouted with glee, "No! Tell me?"

Glad that she had succeeded in changing the subject, at least for now, Prue began her story. "It was the first day of school, and Phoebe was younger than I am now. We had a new teacher at school named Miss Turner

"Yes Paige, I mean Eliza Jane… now can I please finish my story?"

-----

Piper hoisted Paris up onto her side because she had grown far too tired of her toddling down the road. At the pace she had been going they wouldn't have made it home by nightfall. As soon as she had lifted her up, Paris squirmed to get comfortable and Piper noticed that her hands, face, and feet were covered in dirt. "Boy, are you filthy," she said to Paris, "as soon as we get home, Prue is going to have to give you a bath. I don't think she'll be very happy." Paris clapped her hands then stuffed them deep into her hair, when she pulled them out; Piper noticed that she had mashed potatoes on her fingers. "Please don't tell me that came out of your hair," she moaned at Paris's toothy grin she continued, "Well, it sure is a good thing that we're home… or else I'd have made you walk again."

Piper set Paris down on the ground and she somberly looked up at hwe with her arms raised, "Filfy pawis," she said, and then latched herself onto her leg.

"Oh no you don't, kiddo," she said. She spotted Prue and hobbled over to her with Paris still attached to her leg. "Prue, I brought Paris home with me… she needs a bath."

"Piper, can't you see that I am busy hanging clothes on the line with Paige? Besides, I gave Paris a bath last time she was here… it's your turn."

"Well I gave her a bath the time before that. Paige hasn't ever had to give Paris a bath."

Paige screwed her face up into a tight frown and glared at Piper, "Do I have to?"

"No, but it's only fair. Besides, I have to go get some water for the animals, and Prue has to cook. Neither of us can do it, and what are you supposed to do?"

"Nothing?" she asked with a hopeful look on her face.

"Paige," Prue stipulated, "you are not a baby anymore. You cannot just sit around and play! You have to help do work."

Paige gave a pout that was not very fitting for a nine year old before she stomped off in the direction of the barn. "C'mon Paris," she said with a sigh and waited at the door while the two year old toddled after her.

-----

A little girl of about five sat quietly in her seat on the train. Her mother had gone to find them some food, and her brother was currently fascinated with another passenger's hair. As long as it isn't my hair, the girl shuddered at the thought. It was only eight months earlier that she had had to get her hair cut because her brother had decided to stick one of his lollipops in her hair while she was asleep, luckily it had grown back, but she wasn't ready to take that chance again.

"Sister, why won't you help me? Her hair is so funny. It is like she has a rabbit sitting atop her head," the girl's brother said with glee, his brown eyes sparkling beneath his mass of golden locks.

The girl quickly admonished her brother, but not before she hid the smile that threatened to spread across her face. The woman's hair _was _atrocious, she must admit. "This is neither the time nor the place to mess with someone's hair. This is a serious situation. Are you not the least bit worried in meeting Grandmother and Grandfather? What if they don't like us?"

"Oh, I don't have to worry. They'll love me, who doesn't?"

The girl rolled her eyes at her brother's idiocy and shifted in her seat, clutching tightly to the new china doll that her mother had bought her just the week before. The doll was almost an exact duplicate of the girl, with her thick dark brown locks and bright blue eyes like her mother's. She was a duplicate of her mother in all but appearances, her mother would tell her, and her brother was an exact duplicate of her uncle, except her brother had blonde hair and brown eyes, while her uncle had brown hair and green eyes. Or at least that's what their mother told them.

The girl turned when she heard the seat next to her whine in protest as someone sat down in it, her mother was back!

"Oh Mother!" the girl exclaimed, "What did you get me? Did you get me any candy?"

The boy was soon aware of the presence of their mother and turned around in his seat, "Yeah, what'd you get me, Ma? Did you get any licorice?"

The woman heaved a sigh and impatiently shook her head while the children rattled on a list of all of the different sweets that they loved to consume daily in the store that their father and she ran. "You'll have all of that stuff and more soon enough children. I spoke with someone on the train, and they said that we were only ten minutes away from Sleepy Eye, so the sooner we get there, the sooner we can go home."

"Home, mother? We aren't going to stay here, are we?" the girl asked in disgust. "We are going back to New York, right?"

"Well, I meant for it to be a surprise for when we saw your uncle, aunt, and grandparents in Walnut Grove, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. Jennie, Ben, we are moving to Walnut Grove. Your father and grandmother will join us in a few weeks when the store is shut down."

Jennie Dalton stared at her mother with her mouth wide open She could not believe that her mother would ever do such a horrid thing to them! Well, Ben could really care less. As long as there were candy and girls to annoy, he was happy. She was a different story, from the stories that her mother had told, she knew that Walnut Grove was very… country. The town wasn't even much of a town. It had a school that was also the church, a post office and doctor's office, a mill and feed store, and of course her grandparent's mercantile and her mother's old hotel and restaurant. Why, if it weren't for her grandparents, then Walnut Grove probably wouldn't even be a town. Jennie once tried to express her opinion to her mother, but was quickly dismissed and told that that was a terrible thing to believe.

-----

Two men stood solemnly at the train depot awaiting the four thirty train. They had quite a drive ahead, to their town of Walnut Grove, and with two four year olds in the wagon as well, the time might seem even longer.

"So, how is half-pint doing, son?" Victor asked trying to break the silence. Normally, silence between men was fine, but he had not seen his daughter for a couple of weeks and was worried about her health.

"She- She's doing better, sir,"Cole said, welcoming the conversation. He had been thinking about Phoebe in the silence, and could use something else to talk about. "Doc Baker put her on bed rest, but you know Pheebs, she won't stay there all day. I just don't know what to do about her; I can't be there with her to make sure that nothing happens to her. She needs someone to help her take care of Paris, even though she won't admit it."

"That sounds like Phoebe all right. Maybe Patty could watch Paris at the restaurant while she works? You know she used to do that with Paige when she was too young to go to school."

"I don't want to be any trouble, sir. Paris can be quite a handful, and I don't think the restaurant would be the best place for her, no offense. Besides, I am sure that Mrs. Lawson would greatly oppose that."

"Yes, my mother is like that sometimes, Mr. Halliwell… you should listen to Cole. Is she still pretending that she runs the restaurant, although everyone knows that Mrs. Halliwell really does?" a voice interposed.

"Kady!" Victor said, "we didn't even see you get off of the train, and these must be the twins. Why, they look just like yourself and Andy. Nancy will have some competition, she won't like that very much."

"No," Kady agreed as she remembered the girl's animosity toward her upon her last visit. "She won't like it, but she'll have to get used to it. They are her niece and nephew, and they will be going to school together in just a couple of years."

"School, in Walnut Grove?" Cole interjected, "I thought that Andy said that this was just another visit, but that the kids were coming with you this time."

"Well, that's what he thinks, but I decided to move back here. Percival will be coming along in a few days with the rest of our stuff, and we'll have to build a house… Anyway, enough about me, you were saying something about Phoebe needing some help when I came up. What kind of help?"

"Well, Doc Baker put her on bed rest, but Phoebe just won't stay down. She has her hands too full with Paris to," Cole supplied. "I want to help, but with my working in town and in the fields, I'm afraid that I'm just not able to."

"I can help," at the men's puzzled looks she continued, "I don't have a job, and Andy told me that Hester Sue is helping Mrs. Halliwell at Patty's now, I can't exactly waltz back into Walnut Grove and ask for my old job, never mind that Mother would give it to me. Besides, I have to take care of Jennie and Ben, as it is, what's one more child? If she's anything like her mother, I think my children could use Paris's influence," Kady finished with a smile.

-----

Phoebe rolled onto her side and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She had to use the bathroom, and bad. She hoisted herself off of the bed and placed her right hand on her lower back, it hurt! She had already gained twice as much weight with this baby than she had with Paris, but Doc Baker said that it was natural due to her decrease in physical activity.

Phoebe ran her hand through her hair and looked at the clock before she walked outside. It was five o'clock, and Cole told her that he wouldn't be home before seven or eight. She groaned. It was hotter than it had been earlier, a lot hotter. It looked hazier outside now too. Her legs began to wobble and the world became a blur. Phoebe didn't try to fight it as she felt herself lose consciousness, it was a feeling that she had gotten quite used to, in fact, and she welcomed it.

Phoebe felt herself falling, and her last coherent thought was that she hoped whatever was wrong with her, wouldn't hurt the baby.


	2. Chapter 2

Suppertime found the Halliwell children and Patty around the table with Baby Paris seated in Paige's old highchair. It had taken Paige about an hour to clean Paris, but luckily Prue and Piper had dinner finished by the time they went inside because Patty walked through the door only moments later.

"Where's Pa?" Paige asked when she noticed that Patty was alone.

"He and Cole had to pick something up from Sleepy Eye for a delivery. He said that they would be back late, probably around seven. So, they should be back soon."

"Papa?" Paris asked , and looked up from her food to Patty.

"Yes, Paris. Your papa will be here soon."

"Where's Mama?"

Piper looked at Paris and set down her fork. "Paris, don't you remember? Your mama was tired, so she needed to take a nap, but you couldn't stay at home all by yourself so you had to come with me," at the toddler's blank stare she shot a pleading look at Paige.

Paige sighed and said, "Mama's at home, Paris. You will see her soon."

Paris looked back down at her plate, "Oh, okay."

Piper picked at her dinner for a bit before she pushed her plate away and looked at Patty. "Ma?" she asked, "may I speak with you as soon as you are finished with your supper?"

"Why, Piper! You can speak to me at the table, can't you? What is so important that you need to wait until after supper?"

Piper glanced at Paris, "It's about P-H-O-E-B-E."

Patty looked surprised, but followed Piper's line of sight. "Oh, yes Piper. You may speak with me after dinner."

Paige looked puzzled before saying, "Phoebe? Why did you have to spell that?"

"Mama!" Paris squealed in delight. "Is Mama here? Where's Mama?"

Piper glared at Paige, and she ducked her head in shame. "No Paris, your mama isn't here," she said before turning to Prue. "Prye? Could you watch Paris? Ma and I better go out to the barn to talk."

Prue furrowed her brow in frustration, but agreed. There was something going on that Piper wasn't telling anyone, and she was going to find out.

-----

Prue and Paige had just finished washing the dishes when Cole and Victor walked through the door. Paige walked over to the cupboard and took out two plates, then filled them with what had been left over from supper. Piper and Patty had yet to come in from their talk, and Prue was growing worried, they had been gone for a long time.

"Prue?" Victor asked after he sat down at the table.

"Yes, Pa?"

"Where is your Ma?"

"In the barn, Piper had to talk to her about Phoebe. She went to visit her, and she brought Paris home with her. I don't know much else about it."

At that moment, Piper and Patty walked through the front door. Patty walked over to Victor and took him by the arm. "Victor?" she asked, "can you step outside with me for a moment? I need to speak with you."

Victor and Patty made their way outside and shut the heavy door behind them. "What is it, darlin'?" Victor questioned with a confused tone present in his voice.

"Piper visited Phoebe today, and she did not want to rest at all she said. She took Paris off of her hands, and she said that she would go to sleep then, but she's not sure if she did or not. I was thinking… I could go with Cole back to their house tonight and keep an eye on Phoebe to make sure that she gets her rest."

"I'm sure that she's fine, Patty. You do not need to go over there and stay, Cole can take plenty good care of her when he's there… and when he isn't she knows what she should and should not do. You have your job at the restaurant, and no matter how much you want to be with Phoebe, you can't. Cole and I were in Sleepy Eye picking Kady up from the train depot. She even volunteered to help take care of Phoebe, she knows the situation and I am pretty sure that she can handle it."

"I don't know, Victor," Patty protested. "Kady is a friend, but I would just feel a lot better taking care of my daughter myself."

"Patty, everything will be just fine, but if it will make you feel any better you can stay the night with Phoebe, and in the morning when Cole goes into town he can take you to the restaurant."

Patty finally agreed that this was the best proposal, and the two headed back into the house.

-----

Patty held tightly to Paris as the wagon traveled over the juts in the road. Paris had fallen asleep at the house before Victor and Cole had arrived and had not stirred since, and if they were lucky she would sleep through the night.

"How's Paris doing over there?" Cole asked from his place behind the reins.

Patty looked down and saw that she was still sleeping peacefully and sighed, "She's still asleep."

"That's good. I don't want her to wake up when we get there and wake up Pheebs. Hopefully she's still asleep from when she went to bed after Piper left," Cole remarked. Victor and Patty had told him of the situation not long after they came in from outside, and he had agreed to allow Patty to come home with Paris and himself.

As they neared the house, Paris made out a figure in the dark summer night. "What is that?" she asked fearfully, clutching tightly to Paris.

Cole handed Patty the reins and bounded out of the wagon to see what it was. When he approached the figure and saw that it was Phoebe, he picked her up and carried her back to the wagon. An apprehensive look masked Patty's face when she saw Cole walking back toward the wagon with Phoebe in his arms.

"What is it, what's wrong?" she cried, full of fear.

"I don't know. Can you take Paris inside? I'm gonna take Pheebs into Doc Baker and see if he knows what's wrong. I'm tired of these fainting spells. No matter what he says, it just doesn't seem normal."

"Are you sure that you don't want me to come with you, Cole?" Patty asked alarmed. "After all, I have had five children and would know more of what to tell Doc Baker."

"No, that's quite alright, Patty I'm sure that I can handle it. Besides, someone needs to stay and watch Paris."

"Oh, okay," Patty responded as she boost Paris up so that her head could rest on her shoulder. She watched until Cole drove away with Phoebe laying in the back of the wagon before she made her way inside with her granddaughter.

-----

"Doctor Baker! Doctor Baker!" Cole called as he pounded on the door to Doc Baker's office, but received no answer.

"Cole?" Kady asked as she approached the door. "What are you doing here?"

Cole looked away from the door for a moment, long enough to acknowledge Kady and Andy who had a sick-looking Ben resting in his arms. "Something's wrong with Pheebs again. Patty had offered to watch her tonight to make sure that she slept, and we were going to the house, but when we got there… we found Pheebs laying outside, unconscious. I left Patty at the house to watch Paris."

"She fainted again?" Andy asked, puzzled. "That makes the tenth time since the spells started, doesn't it?"

"I thought that it was more than that, but I'm just tired of it all. Doc Baker says that it's perfectly normal, but she did not faint at all while she was carrying Paris!"

"I never fainted with the twins, either… Mother did plenty enough for the both of us," Kady laughed.

Andy boosted Ben up farther in his arms before he asked, "Cole, do you need any help getting Phoebe inside?"

"No thanks, I can handle it."

At that moment, Doc Baker opened the door and looked outside. "Cole, Kady, Andy… come in."

_An: Left you on another cliff hanger --- I promise If I have the time tonite I'll add the next chapter ---- Once again I say Read and Review ----Thanks for all those who did on the first chapter_.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm afraid that I don't understand exactly what you are saying, Doc," Cole said as he cast a glance towards Phoebe lying on the table.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what is wrong myself, Cole. I have a few ideas, but I could not be sure without doing a few tests, and quite frankly I don't have the equipment to do so. However, in Mankato, they do have that equipment, and I suggest that you take her there. You're risking both Phoebe, and your unborn child's life by not finding out what's wrong."

Cole clutched Phoebe's hand as Doc Baker spoke. He knew that the treatment that Phoebe needed would cost them a lot of money, but it would be worth it if she and the baby lived. He could replace the money, but he could not, and did not want to replace his wife. He could not lose her.

"When would we have to be there? How much will it cost?"

"Well," Doc Baker said as he moved toward the curtain, "you would probably have to be there by the end of the week. As for how much everything would amount to, that would depend on how long you were to stay. If everything shows up okay, then you would probably only have to pay for the tests being run and the fare there, and back. If it does not… then it goes based on days or weeks that you stay there."

Phoebe began to stir and Cole dashed to her side as if Doc Baker had burned him. He once again grabbed her hand and pulled up the stool that was placed next to the table.

"How are you feeling, darlin'?" Col asked once Phoebe had opened her eyes. She shifted a bit before she turned to face him and smiled.

"I'm fine, what am I doing here?"

"You aren't fine, Pheebs! You are far from fine when I come home to you lying stretched out across the ground!"

Phoebe knit her brows together in fury and put a hand on the table for support to lift herself up, but lay back down quickly when a dizzy spell hit her. "I know I'm not fine, don't you think I know that? The thing is… I don't know what is wrong, and I hate that!"

Cole smoothed back the hair that was now caked with dirt. "I know, and that's why we have to find out. We have to go to Mankato."

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As soon as Patty had placed Paris in her bed she began to cook. She was not sure how long Cole and Phoebe would be gone, or if Phoebe would even be awake when they arrived, but she figured that at least Cole would be hungry. She was sure that neither of them had eaten since breakfast that morning, and they would be half starved. Just as she had finished brewing some coffee to go with the dinner there was a knock at the door. Patty figured that it was Cole and he needed help getting in, so she was surprised to see a woman of about thirty-three with blonde hair and blue eyes and two small girls on either side of her standing before her at the door.

"Hello," Patty stated as nicely as she could, not masking the surprise in her voice.

The smallest girl grinned up at Patty, the lack of her front teeth apparent. "I'm Emma, nithe to meet you. I'm thikth yearth old… how old are you?"

"Emma," the woman admonished, shocked by her daughter's forwardness. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I must have the wrong house, can you tell me where the Turner house is?"

"This is the right house, might I ask who you are?" Patty asked.

"I'm Alice Barton, is Cole home?"

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Cole pulled in front of the house and glanced over at Phoebe to see if she was still awake. When he saw that she was staring straight back at him, he smiled.

"Your ma's here… she was coming out to check on you, but ended up staying to watch Paris."

"I haven't seen her in awhile, it will be nice to have the chance to," Phoebe remarked. She moved to step down from her place in the wagon, but was soon stopped as she noticed Cole, now right in front of her.

"I thought I told you to take it easy," he said.

"You did, but, oh Cole! I just want to be able to do things myself. I can't just sit around and let everyone wait on me hand and foot."

"I know that it is hard, Pheebs. You just have to try though, okay? For yourself and for our baby. I don't want to see either of you hurt," Cole stated before he lifted her out of the wagon and placed her on the ground. "There, that didn't take much work out of ya, did it?"

Phoebe tried to smiled, but her eyes began to tear up. "You just don't understand! I know what I have to do, I know that I need to stay in bed and do nothing, while if I need anything I ask someone to do it for me. I just feel so useless! I mean, all of my life I have helped everyone… I helped Pa with whatever he needed help with, I helped Ma in the housework and watching Prue or Paige, I helped Prue with her homework, and now I help you out with the farm while I do the housework… I take care of our daughter, and up until awhile ago I taught school. I'm used to doing so much, and being needed! Not doing nothing and needing everyone else."

As soon as she had finished, the tears in her eyes began to flow and she collapsed into Cole's arms. "It… it's just so hard to be dependent instead of independent, and I don't like it. I just, I just don't know if I can, Cole, and I cannot make a promise that I'm not sure whether or not I can keep."

"I know, darlin', but just think you will be back up before you know it. We will go to Mankato and see their doctors, and then you'll have the baby! Then we can come home and things may not be the same due to the baby and everything else, but we will make it work."

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"Yes, the youngest. Of his sisters, I mean. I am three years older than he, so I am definitely not the youngest in that sense. But I am rattling on now, am I not? Where is Cole, by the way? I am sorry, Mrs. Halliwell. It's just… I thought you said that he just had to run into town?" Alice took her dress out of Emma's hands and lifted her onto her lap. "What is it, Emma Margaret?" she asked the six year old.

"Where'th my couthin? You told me that I would have my very own girl couthin to play with…" Emma wrinkled her nose, "inthtead of yucky Couthin Myron and Rupert."

"So I did, and you will. I'm sure that your cousin, Paris, is very tired now… she's probably asleep, isn't that right, Mrs. Halliwell?"

"Yes, your mother's right, Emma… Paris was very tired today. I am sure she will be delighted to play with someone closer to her age tomorrow, however--" Patty was interrupted by the opening of the front door and a red-eyed and faced Phoebe stepped in, followed by Cole.

Cole began to usher Phoebe towards the bed, talking to Patty the whole time, "How was Paris, is she still asleep? Once pheeb's asleep I'll need your help packing. We have to go to Mankato. It's good to see you, Alice--" he stopped short after finally having put Phoebe into bed and walked slowly back into the main room. "Alice? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Can a woman not visit her brother who she has not seen in almost eight years? Besides, I wanted to meet my sister-in-law who I have heard so much about. So I thought, what better time than now? With the baby coming, you and Phoebe would need help. Not that you are not capable of helping, Mrs. Halliwell, but I have heard about the restaurant that you run… and I saw it earlier when we arrived. You must be very busy with it."

"Well, I'm sorry Alice, but Phoebe and I won't be here for long. Doc Baker recommended a doctor in Mankato for us to visit. He said that he may know what is the matter with her, so we need to leave as soon as we can," Cole moved to sit down in a chair across from Patty. "I know it might be a lot to ask, with you and Victor both working during the day, but do you think that Paris can stay at your house while we are in Mankato?"

"Why Cole, did you even have to ask? Of course Paris can stay with us!"

Alice looked over at Hazel, her oldest daughter who was sitting in the fourth chair that was seated at the table, and down at Emma who had begun to fall asleep in her lap. "Cole, if it's okay… I would actually like to take care of Paris. We came to visit, and the girls are so excited about meeting their cousin, and we need a place to stay. I could keep an eye on the house and on Paris while the two of you are gone. It will be, what? Two weeks at the most? If it gets to be too much, I could ask Mrs. Halliwell for help… I don't want to seem like I am taking her job, but she is busy as it is."

Cole looked between his sister and mother-in-law before he sighed. "Alright, Alice. You can stay."


End file.
